Testimonials

"

In closing, the one thing I must say is this: you want some one like Phil and his staff on YOUR side. Phil is a hard-nosed negotiator and gets things done right! From finding us a boat, to helping us sea trial, all the way to the closing, the entire staff at The Multihull Company was a joy to work with. They treat you like family.

I needed advice, handholding, more advice, and yet still more handholding. I was clueless about marine financing, insurance, flagging, and import documentation rules. I thought it was like purchasing a house. Not so. I can honestly say that without your help, guidance, hand holding, daily calls, and e-mails, I would not be a boat owner today.

Bottom Paint Guide Part 5: Applying your Bottom Paint

Now that the bottom of your boat is prepped and ready to go, you
have to make a decision. Will you apply the paint yourself or will you
pay a boatyard to do it?

Most boatyards allow owners (and regular crew) to work on their
boats. You will pay a lay-day fee, which can range from $0.50 per foot
per day, to $5.00 per foot per day, not including water and
electricity. Some boatyards will allow you to bring in outside
contractors, which will cost more; some will require you to use
contractors from their approved list. Yacht clubs, though not all,
sometimes allow such work in designated areas, but check with the club
manager first to be sure.

Labor at a boatyard can run between $25 and $100 per hour. Some
yards charge per-coat/per-foot to apply anti-fouling paint, so from
$3.00 per foot (per Bobby’s Marina, Simpson Bay, St. Maarten) to $7.00
per foot (per Antigua Slipway, Ltd., Antigua), two coats of
anti-fouling paint applied to the fully cleaned and prepped bottom of
your 40’ sail sailboat would range from $240 to $560 – not including
lay day charges, paint, travel lift fees, or painting of the boot
stripe.

Note that the above mentioned prices are just examples I located
online. Always find out exactly what you can and cannot do at the yard
and how much it will cost, and then get the prices in writing. Also
make certain that you know where your boat will be, and if you will
have access to electricity and water.

The upside of applying anti-fouling paint yourself is that you can
save money. You can probably get some of the friends who have been
boating with you to come lend a hand, so you won’t be stuck in the yard
all alone. You will, however, have to acquire the appropriate safety
gear and equipment for painting. West Marine’s website
(www.westmarine.com) offers a pretty complete list of what you will
need in their online article Tips for Better Bottoms. You’ll find lots
of how-to information online, at boating stores, and from other boaters.

The downside for the do-it-yourselfer is that applying anti-fouling
paint is a major undertaking, especially for the neophyte. How much
time can you take off work? Those over-the-weekend painting jobs never
go as planned. And if you louse up the paint job, you will have only
yourself to blame. The most commons reasons for anti-fouling detachment
are failure of the paint to dry between coats, and launching the boat
when the paint is not thoroughly dry. If you rush because you have to
get back to work, all of your time and expense will have been for
nothing.

If you hire professionals to do the work, you get … well …
professionals. They can be expensive, but the guys at the yard already
have the safety gear and painting equipment. They know how to properly
apply bottom paint because they may have done it hundreds of times.
Professionals take the risk of exposure to toxic anti-fouling paints,
must meet environmental guidelines, and are responsible for doing the
job right.

If this is your first time through the haul-out, bottom prep, and
anti-fouling application process, I recommend hiring professionals.
Alternatively, you can find a boating friend who is a do-it-yourselfer
and volunteer to help him out on his next bottom job. That way you will
get a first-hand, close-up look at the process, which will help you
decide what to do when it is time for your boat’s bottom job.

This article was taken with permission from All at SeaAll at Sea – The Caribbean’s Waterfront Magazine is published monthly.